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Baked apples with Calvados sauce
From Raymond Blanc's Kitchen Secrets, http://www.raymondblanc.com/
Serves 4
For the baked apples
4 Reines des Reinettes apples, or similar russet apples, washed, dried
60g/2½oz unsalted butter, melted
4 tbsp caster sugar
For the Calvados sauce
50g/2oz caster sugar
20g/¾oz unsalted butter
40g/1½oz Braeburn apple, peeled, cut into 0.5cm/¼in dice
80ml/3¼oz apple juice
½ tsp arrowroot, diluted in a little water
1 tsp Calvados
For the garnish
15g/½oz bread, cubed
15g/½oz icing sugar
15g/½oz pistachio nuts
10g/¼oz whole almonds
5g flaked almonds
1-2 tsp Calvados
1. For the baked apples, preheat the oven to 170C/350F/Gas 4.
2. Cut the bases off any apples that do not sit flat, making sure not to remove too much of the base. Remove the cores from the apples, by making an incision with the point of a small knife just below the stalk, cutting through the core. Insert the corer at the base of the apple and slide up to the incision, twist the corer and you should be able to remove the core keeping the stalk at the top of the apple intact.
3. Brush a shallow ovenproof dish with some of the melted butter and sprinkle over some of the sugar. Brush each apple with the remaining melted butter, then roll them in the remaining caster sugar. Place the apples into the ovenproof dish and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. If possible cook the apples in without fan assited heat as this is too intense and will burst the skin of the apple before it is cooked.
4. For the calvados sauce, heat the sugar in a small saucepan over a medium heat until it reaches a dark golden caramel. Taking the caramel to a dark golden brown is important; it will reduce the sweetness and give a better caramel flavour. If the caramel is to light or blond it will be far too sweet and ruin the dish.
5. Stir in the butter and add the diced apples , cook for 30 seconds, without moving the pan (use a spoon to cover the apples in the caramel mixture).
6. Add the apple juice and bring to the boil.
7. Stir in the diluted arrowroot a little at a time, until it has thickened slightly, then remove from the heat and add the Calvados.
8. For the garnish, mix together the bread cubes and half of the icing sugar. Sprinkle the mixture onto a baking tray.
9. Mix the pistachios, whole and flaked almonds, Calvados and the remaining icing sugar together until well combined. Spread the mixture onto the same baking tray.
10. Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the nuts and bread cubes are golden-brown. Set aside to cool.
11. To serve, place one baked apple into the centre of each of four serving plates. Spoon the Calvados sauce into the centre and sprinkle over the toasted garnishes.
Chef’s Notes:
The Calvados is optional, but many farmers are now making some great Ciders and Apple Brandy’s, so a trip to your local farmers market is well worth making.
You can use any mixture of nuts, seeds, dried fruits, spices:
Nuts – Brazil, Pecan, Walnut, Hazelnut
Seeds – Sunflower, Pumpkin, Sesame,
Dried Fruits – Cranberry, Blueberry, Raisin, golden Sultanas,
Spice – Cinnamon, Star Anise, Nnutmeg, All Spice, Mace
The power of a fan assisted oven will be too much for the skin of the apple and they will split during cooking. Set your oven to static and allow the heat to penetrate gently rather than being forced.
